Short Guide No 13: Using Hymns in All-Age Worship

Some services are designated as ‘all-age’. What does this imply? Ideally, all worship should be suitable for everyone in a worshipping community. ‘Our Father’ should mean what it says, without alienating people because of their age or cultural background. So, the term ‘all-age’ usually means a service for both adults and children, with a special emphasis on families. Content is …

Short Guide No 9: Our Musical Resources are Limited; What Can We Sing?

Successful congregational singing entails careful, imaginative organisation. We need not emulate the local choral society but our singing must be the best we can offer; nothing less will be good enough. We tend to rely on instrumental support for our singing, but let’s start with using the voice. Unaccompanied singing can be highly effective. If you wish to print this …

Short Guide No 5: How Can We Encourage the Use of Hymns in Worship?

Have a suitable range of hymns available to illustrate the session. A group of well prepared musicians is a great asset! You must involve the audience throughout and be sensitive to people’s interests and concerns. Encourage participation and aim to stimulate discussion which leads to positive outcomes. These notes represent one way of designing a presentation. Other approaches could focus …